Things to Do in Wilkes-Barre

Every winter, the professional ice carvers at Sculpted Ice Works whittle and chip away at large blocks of ice to create Crystal Cabin Fever, an indoor, interactive display of expertly formed frozen water. In the event’s infancy, the exhibit was limited to a life-size ice cabin, but it has since blossomed to include a unique annual theme, live carving demonstrations, and an ice slide—totaling more than 100 tons of ice in all.

Inside Pump It Up's 12,000-square-foot facility, sock-clad feet scamper across custom-designed inflatable play structures, slides, and obstacle courses while an attentive staff supervises. On Jump-N-Art days, kids can follow open-bouncing sessions with arts-and-crafts projects, and vibrant neon lights illuminate the dimmed facility during Glow Parties. An onsite party room hosts bouncers and their parents, who refuel with pizza, soda, and juice. The center also supplies up to 25 children or 250 life-size Hannah Montana cutouts with private party packages, which grant guests exclusive access to the facility along with catering, cake, and goody bags.

Tiny tumblers flip, twirl, and roll across the blue and black padded expanse of Kangaroo Kidz Youth Gymnastics’ studio. The center’s skilled instructors helm Mommy and Me classes, where kids as young as 1 years old discover the world around them with songs and examinations of specific pieces of equipment. Classes for older students build strength and flexibility through exercises such as headstands, cartwheels, and back-hand springs. Outside of regular classes, summer camps keep kids occupied with activities and playtime unified by special weekly themes, such as the Olympics or mad science. Parents' Night Out evenings empower moms and dads to have a night on the town as their child plays at the center, practicing gymnastics moves with which to impress dates many years in the future.

When Francesca Piotrowsky and Amy Sahagian, each mother to a trio of little ones, met at a stay-at-home mom’s group, they discovered a shared vision for an interactive place where their kids could frolic and socialize in a structured environment. The enterprising duo brought their dream to life with Monkeydoodles Playroom, a spacious facility stocked with toys, cushioned geometric shapes, and climbable structures. The playroom hosts 45-minute classes that help youngsters develop age-appropriate skills, such as balance and coordination, taking turns, or the ability to use trigonometry to pin the tail on the donkey. Open playtime sessions summon tykes aged 6 months to 5 years for independent escapades in the ball pit or astride a rocking horse.

Progenitors can prepare snacks in the playroom’s kitchen as their offspring mimic their actions in a pretend kitchen. The life-size kitchen lets parents tuck away a birthday cake during parties, for which Monkeydoodles Playroom can provide pizza and balloons for guests to gather into bunches and ride home on the breeze.